


Love Bites So Deep

by frapandfurious, PangolinPirate



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Animals, Arguing, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Happy Ending, M/M, Millicent is a Tiger, Minor Character Death, Mutual Pining, Zoo, mild swearing, zoo au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-02
Updated: 2019-09-02
Packaged: 2020-10-05 08:57:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 15,475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20486246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/frapandfurious/pseuds/frapandfurious, https://archiveofourown.org/users/PangolinPirate/pseuds/PangolinPirate
Summary: Hux is a dedicated zoo director who loves his work but knows something is missing.Kylo is the passionate big cat's keeper who makes Hux's life more difficult at every turn.When the zoo's owner passes away and his will appoints Kylo his successor, life at the zoo becomes a whole lot more challenging. But the two have no choice but to work together, and in doing so discover they actually share a lot in common...





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A quick note: while the I did do research about zoos, conservation, and animals for many parts of this story, some things are less than accurate for Story Reasons. :) 
> 
> Title from [Tiger Teeth](https://%20https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CekbouPGhQ/) by Walk the Moon
> 
> Story by: frapandfurious  
Art by: pangolinpirate
> 
> Enjoy!

_ “In nature, nothing exists alone.” - Rachel Carson, Silent Spring _

***

“You  _ what? _ ”

If Hux clenched his fists any tighter his nails would break the skin of his palms but he just. Didn’t. Care. It was taking every bit of long-cultivated self control to keep from  _ strangling _ the man in front of him.

The man in question stood mere inches from Hux, his ridiculously muscled arms folded in defiance, his gaze unwavering where it met Hux’s.  _ Kylo _ , he called himself, though Hux doubted it was his real name. Who the  _ hell _ named their child Kylo? He was a zookeeper here, one of the most experienced, though Hux wouldn’t be caught dead admitting that. He did work all over the zoo, but his main focus was the big cats.

“I did  _ my job _ . The clouded leopard’s enclosure isn’t big enough, not if we’re going to bring in a second one for mating.”

Hux took a deep breath before speaking slowly.

“So you...had Mr. Snoke...reallocate some of the budget to expand it?”

“Yes.”

Hux could feel his face growing redder by the moment. “And you didn’t think to run this by me?”

“Why should I?” Kylo asked, infuriatingly smug. “Snoke is the owner.”

“And  _ I’m _ the director. The budget is  _ my  _ job. You can’t just go over my head with these things!”

“Except I did,” Kylo said with a shrug of his shoulders, hands stuffed into his pockets. He was unbothered by Hux’s rage, but Hux suspected it was only because he got his way. Kylo had a reputation for his temper and most of the other keepers avoided him for it. Some were even scared of him.

Well Hux wasn’t afraid of some self-important overgrown teacher’s pet. And he wasn’t about to let Kylo win so easily. Mr. Snoke might be the owner, but Hux was the one who ran this place like a fine-tuned machine. He knew every inch of it by heart, knew the animals, the history, the policies, the budget, the names and roles of every staff member.

_ This is  _ my _ zoo, _ he would find himself thinking in his most traitorous moments. He would never utter it aloud, not when Mr. Snoke regularly reminded him of how  _ lucky _ he was to be chosen out of a dozen equally qualified candidates. The message was clear: I gave you this, I can take it away.

It was a challenge, a game, one Hux intended to win.

“You’d really let your personal interests stand in the way of what’s best for the zoo?”

Kylo scowled at that and Hux felt he’d finally gained some footing.

“What’s best for the animals is my interest,  _ Armitage _ ,” Kylo retorted

“Don’t  _ call _ me that - “

“But it’s not like you’d understand. You spend all day in your office running this place like a military base. You don’t care about the animals, you just care about appearances, about schmoozing people at fundraisers…”

“Those fundraisers keep this place  _ open _ ,” Hux spat, “not to mention pay your salary, which is outrageous, by the way. Why you make so much more than the other keepers is beyond me - “

“Oh, you want to talk about salary? I’ve seen your car, you’re not doing too badly yourself for someone who stays in the air conditioning all day signing paperwork - “

At this point they were talking over each other, voices growing louder by the minute, sure to draw unwanted attention. Kylo had moved closer, right in Hux’s space, and Hux held his ground, not giving an inch.

“Hey!” a voice snapped.

Both their heads turned in unison. “ _ What?” _

Phasma, the zoo’s personnel manager, was standing there shaking her head like a disappointed teacher. “We’re still open, you know. At least take your lover’s quarrel inside.”

Just when Hux thought his face couldn’t get any redder... “It’s not a - “

“I’m done here anyway,” Kylo interrupted, turning his back on them both. “I have work to do.”

With that, Kylo stormed off and Hux hated him just a little more.

*

Later that day Hux sat in his office, still seething over the earlier altercation.

Five years. It had been five years since Hux got this position at Chandrila Zoo after spending several years before that working at a much smaller zoo in the middle of nowhere. Five years, and Kylo had managed to make every one of them an uphill battle. If Hux had his way, Kylo would have been fired without a second thought years ago.

But for reasons he would never understand, Kylo was Mr. Snoke’s golden boy, his protégé. It made  _ no sense _ . Sure, Kylo had a knack for dealing with animals, and he knew the zoo like the back of his hand. But he was volatile, uncooperative, stubborn, he skipped meetings and didn’t play well with others and bent the rules to his whim…

_ Crack! _

The sudden, sharp sound snapped Hux out of his daze. He looked down, bewildered, to the form he’d been signing just moments ago before he zoned out. The tip of his pen was snapped off, leaving a pool of black ink in its wake, slowly spreading across the page.

Hux cursed, quickly moving the paper and pen into the garbage can beside his desk before it could leak onto anything else.

_ Leave it to Kylo to ruin something without even being here _ , he thought irritably.

He took a moment to look around his pristine office. It was half the size of Mr. Snoke's, and the owner was rarely even on the premises. Hux practically  _ lived _ here.

Hux closed his eyes and allowed himself this small indulgence: picturing himself in a plush seat behind a large desk with  _ his name _ on the name plaque, the wall lined with awards for the zoo's conservation and education programs…

...and a staff group photo with one Kylo Ren notably absent. Yes, that sounded perfect…

Slowly he opened his eyes to the reality that was his cramped space, lack of appreciation, and dull headache from the argument with Kylo.

He sighed, straightened his posture, grabbed a new pen and continued working.

_ One day… _

*

On an evening at the end of the week Hux took some time to stroll through the zoo. They were closed and the only staff left were a handful of keepers.

He liked it best on evenings like these. It was late May, warm but not hot, the sun just beginning to near the horizon. And it was  _ quiet _ . As much as he relished seeing the visitors enjoying themselves, the fruits of his hard work there in their smiles and appreciative comments, it was nice to be able to see and hear the animals unobstructed, to bask in the calm that settled over the whole place.

It was with no small amount of longing that he watched the keepers as they cleaned enclosures, fed and played with the animals, and joked amongst themselves. As soon as they saw him they sobered, immediately returning to their tasks. Hux nodded in approval and turned away feeling strangely empty.

It seemed the old saying was true: it was lonely at the top.

Hux knew he was lucky to have such an important position in an award-winning zoo. He also knew deep down it was a substitute for what he really wanted…

He was pulled from his melancholy by the sound of muffled cursing. A sound he’d know anywhere from the way it made his shoulders tense and his jaw clench. For a moment he debated whether he wanted to disturb his otherwise peaceful evening with... _ that _ . But it was his job to see that the zoo operated perfectly at every level, and if someone was cursing, well, they were probably cursing  _ about  _ something and it was his duty to see what that something was.

With a long sigh, he headed to the tiger exhibit. There was no one, human or feline, to be seen in the outdoor enclosure, so he went around back to the attached building.

The interior was divided into barred off rooms. In one sat the male tiger their zoo had brought in from another for potential mating. And in the other, with none other than Kylo, was Millicent.

Millicent was a beautiful, healthy four-year-old Sumatran tiger who had been at Chandrila zoo since she was a cub. Hux could still remember the day they brought her in. He was immediately smitten with her, and she remained one of his favorite animals in the whole zoo.

At the moment, she paced around the room, deliberately avoiding Kylo’s attempts to approach her with a small flashlight in one hand, the other extended with his thumb and forefinger open in an L-shape. She seemed mildly agitated, tail flicking and ears folded back, but she didn’t seem poised to attack. Personally, Hux wouldn’t blame her if she did.

Hux watched their antics for a moment before clearing his throat. “What exactly are you trying to accomplish?” he asked.

Kylo spun around, already scowling. “What are you doing here? Don’t you have a desk chair to keep warm?”

Hux kept his expression carefully neutral at the jab. “You know very well I do more than that. Now can you explain to me why you’re upsetting Millie?”

“I’m not trying to upset her, I’m trying to check her teeth. But she won’t - stay - still - “ with each word he leaned forward with the flashlight, only to have Millicent move away.

Hux smirked. “Smart girl. She knows you aren’t half as competent as you pretend to be.”

He could have sworn he heard Kylo  _ growl _ . The man had definitely been spending too long around cats. “I don’t have this problem with any of the others. She just doesn’t like me.”

Hux kept his response to that to himself. It was too easy, and Kylo was too distracted with his task to be a fun target.

“Let me try,” he said instead.

Kylo stopped again and looked at him with a level of disbelief Hux felt was unnecessary. Hux might not be a keeper, but he didn’t get to where he was without having knowledge and experience with animals. More knowledge than experience, but regardless. He’d never had any trouble with Millicent.

Their gazes remained locked for a long moment before Kylo shrugged and walked away from the tigress, handing Hux the flashlight. “If you lose a hand, don’t blame me.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.”

Hux approached Millicent slowly, the flashlight hidden behind his back, and crouched in front of her at eye level. The tiger watched him cautiously, but didn’t move away. When he crouched, she sat.

He opened his hand in the same shape Kylo had earlier. Immediately, Millicent opened her mouth wide for him. Hux couldn’t hold back a grin of satisfaction at the accomplishment, and in front of his nemesis it was twice as sweet a victory.

Hux gave her teeth, tongue and throat a quick examination. Determining everything was fine, he closed his hand and stood, grabbing a treat from a container on the wall to toss to her. Millicent caught it in her mouth and strolled away, chewing contentedly.

“See? Easy.” Hux said with no small amount of smugness as he handed the flashlight back to Kylo and strode out of the building. “Are you sure you’re cut out for this?”

Kylo rushed to catch up with him, a dark look on his face. “Beginners luck,” he growled. He shut and locked the door behind them. “I bet she saw that hair of yours and thought you were a relative.”

“A ginger joke, very original. You’ll have to try harder to come up with anything I didn’t hear in grade school.”

“Just don’t let your head get any bigger. So what, Millicent likes you. She’s the only one here who does.”

If that one stung a bit Hux didn’t let it show. He continued in his fast stride, which Kylo kept up with easily. “Why are you still talking? I have things to - “

“There you are!”

Both men stopped short and turned to see one of the junior keepers, Thanisson, running towards them.

“What is it?” Hux asked while at the same time Kylo demanded, “What’s wrong?”

“It’s Mr. Snoke. He had a heart attack.”

*

The moment Hux entered the main office building he could tell something was amiss. There were whispers, staff looking at him then quickly away, some of them greeting him with more caution than was necessary.

Hux began to feel the stir of anticipation in his gut. It had been a week since Mr. Snoke’s sudden passing, the funeral had come and gone, which most of the staff attended only to take advantage of the free brunch that followed. Most of them had never even seen the zoo’s mysterious owner, and more or less viewed Hux as their boss.

Which was why he had a  _ feeling _ about what all this meant. It was obvious, really. Hux had been running this place for five years, the zoo flourished under his command, and now the previous owner was dead. Who better than Hux to be his successor? There was no one more qualified, no one more familiar with every inch of the place.

That had to explain it. The staff was acting strange because now he wasn’t only their boss, but something more, something  _ better _ .

_ Finally _ .

“Well, someone’s got to break it to him,” he heard from across the hall. Phasma walked up to him, tall and confident as ever, while others - Mitaka, Bascus, Unamo - cowered back.

Hux raised his eyebrows, trying to suppress the grin that was threatening to burst through at any moment.

“Break what to me?”  _ That all this is mine? _

Phasma sighed. “It’s about Mr. Snoke. He, uh. Appointed his successor in his will.”

Hux’s lips twitched. “Oh did he? And?”

“And...don’t freak out, okay? Maybe you should sit down - “

“Phasma, just say it.” The edges of his mouth were beginning to curl up and there was nothing he could do about it…

“It’s Kylo.”


	2. Chapter 2

Hux’s father was a military man. Growing up their home was run in a way not unlike a small base, with strict rules and heavy expectations. Above all, there was an emphasis on  _ duty, honor, integrity _ .

Never in Hux’s life had those ingrained values been so thoroughly tested.

Once upon a time, Kylo’s presence as a keeper had been the most infuriating thing Hux could imagine. Kylo as - he shuddered at the mere thought of the phrase -  _ Hux’s boss _ was another thing entirely.

It was clear from day one that he was unfit to run  _ anything _ . He could barely keep his own moods in check, let alone meet the countless needs of this place, this well-oiled machine which Hux had poured himself into every day for five years. If this was allowed to continue, if Kylo was to remain in charge, it would all crumble.

At first Hux tried to carry on business as usual. Snoke had rarely interfered with day-to-day operations. How hard could it be?

Extremely hard, it turned out, as there were still inevitably things that Hux needed approval for, and putting them off would only be more disastrous later on.

_ Having him sign off on a few things does  _ not _ make him your boss, _ he reminded himself as he walked stiffly to Kylo’s office and stood outside it, staring at the spot where Mr. Snoke’s nameplate was once stuck, now empty. Hux huffed. It had been two weeks already, and Kylo was apparently not even competent enough to order himself a new one.

He knocked sharply and waited.

No answer, but he could hear movement inside the room. Mood souring further, he knocked again.

A long pause, and then the door crept open and that familiar glowering face came into view. Kylo’s broad body blocked the entire sliver of door he held open to the point Hux couldn’t even peek inside.

Hux frowned and cleared his throat. “I have some things to go over with you, if you have a minute.”

“I don’t.”

“They’re important.”

“So? Handle them. That’s your job, isn’t it?”

Hux breathed slowly out through his nose. “Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. It’s  _ your _ job to sign off on the big things - budgets, fundraisers, and so on.”  _ You would know that if you had a clue what you were doing _ .

Kylo’s frown deepened, his brow creasing. He glanced over his shoulder into the office then back at Hux. “Can we - let’s go to your office.”

“I don’t see why. I have everything right here.” He held up his tablet.

Kylo’s jaw tightened. Hux was close enough that he could hear the sound of him swallowing as though his throat was tight with nerves.

“Fine. Come in.” Kylo turned into the office and grabbed a stack of papers and folders off of one of the chairs in front of the desk. Hux entered slowly and as he did, he felt like he might be sick.

The room was a mess. The doors to the filing cabinet were ajar and files, binders and boxes were everywhere. It was June now but the wall and desk calendars were still on May. Papers were spread across the surface of the desk. To Hux’s horror, a coffee mug was settled  _ on a stack of papers _ , a trickle of cold coffee down the side creating a wobbly brown ring of a stain at the bottom.

“Have a seat,” Kylo muttered. Hux sat slowly, in a daze.

“I don’t know what I expected,” he said more to himself than to Kylo.

Kylo scowled at him as he sat down in the larger, more comfortable chair behind the desk. “Alright, let’s get this over with.”

Hux gaped at him. “ _ This _ is important, and we will not  _ get it over with! _ ”

He would soon eat his words. What should have been a quick but thorough rundown on the budget, operations, and upcoming events, devolved into butting heads. Kylo had only the faintest grasp on some of the things Hux was talking about, and every time Hux tried to explain them Kylo would stubbornly resist or even cut him off.

Hux could feel his temper rising, a burning in his cheeks and a boiling in his chest. Kylo wasn’t much better off, his frustration evident in the tightness of his jaw and the hunch of his shoulders. All it would take was one little push, one wrong word…

“Why did Snoke even keep you on so long?” Kylo ground out through clenched teeth. “You’re useless.”

The color drained from Hux’s face. A voice echoed in the back of his mind.

_ The boy is a slip of a thing, unfit for the service, that’s for sure. Utterly useless, I don’t know what’s going to become of him... _

He all but exploded with rage, his cutting tirade laced with expletives that he rarely uttered, but oh, this was a special occasion. He could barely hear his own voice over Kylo’s booming one shouting back, both men standing now, leaning forward over the desk as if trying to make themselves taller, larger, trying to assert dominance.

The fight escalated until Hux couldn’t stand the sight of the other man anymore. He turned on his heel, shoving the chair aside and stormed out, tablet in hand. A moment later he heard the office door slam behind him.  _ Seething _ , he returned to his own office, where he stayed for the remainder of the day.

*

If the following weeks were an improvement, it was only because Hux made a deliberate effort to avoid Kylo by all means necessary. Even if it meant taking roundabout ways to get around the zoo, even if it meant emailing when Kylo’s office was only a few doors down, even if it meant working in even more self-imposed isolation than he had previously. That was fine; he worked better alone anyway. He wasn’t here to make friends, and he certainly wasn’t here to babysit.

But Kylo proved impossible to ignore.

One morning Hux arrived bright and early as usual. He decided to take a stroll through the exhibits to start the day on a positive note. He paused by the anteaters to smile as one extended its long tongue to eat.

With no visitors around he could truly pause and appreciate each animal. He knew them all by name and could talk at length about any given creature. Of course, that wasn’t his job, it was the keepers’ and presenters’. But it didn’t keep his mind from venturing to what he  _ would _ say, given the chance…

His peaceful walk was interrupted by a strange sight: a small cluster of the keepers gathered off to one side, talking amongst themselves and looking uncertainly into the leopard enclosure. Hux frowned. Why weren’t they busy getting things set up for opening? Was something wrong?

He headed over to find out. As he drew closer, he caught bits of their conversation.

“ - can’t keep doing this, it’s not his job anymore - “

“ - did you hear what he said - ?”

“I swear, I’m so close to walking out - “

“Shit, guys, Hux is coming - “

The whole group turned, looking twice as nervous at Hux’s approach.

“What’s going on?” Hux snapped. The group exchanged looks, waiting for someone else to talk. Finally one young woman, a newer keeper named Lucy, spoke up.

“It’s Kylo, sir.”

_ Of course it is _ . Hux closed his eyes, breathed out slowly through his nose, then opened them again.

“What about Kylo?”

“We were just doing the morning rounds and when we got here he was already in there, cleaning and stuff. That was supposed to be Rumi’s job but when he said something Kylo got all mad, said we were doing things wrong…”

She trailed off, looking worried, as though she’d said something she might be reprimanded for. But that wasn’t Hux’s plan at all. In fact, he appreciated her honesty, and he told her as much.

“Go finish up the other exhibits. I’ll deal with him.”

Relieved, the group hurried off, leaving Hux facing the exhibit. He could see Kylo inside doing some routine cleaning of the enclosure. He must have been carrying treats in his pocket, because the leopard kept following him around. Sure enough, at one point when she prodded at his leg with her big paw, he turned and smiled and dug something out, tossing it to her.

The sight infuriated Hux.  _ He got what  _ I  _ wanted and he doesn’t even want it, the ungrateful bastard _ .

Though it pained him to not just storm in there and give Kylo a piece of his mind, Hux waited for him to finish. He didn’t care about Kylo getting to play around with the leopard, but he didn’t want to startle the creature either, and the cleaning  _ did _ need to be done before the zoo opened.

Eventually, Kylo finished up and emerged. He stopped short, startled to see Hux there. Their eyes met, exchanging matching disdainful looks, before he finally spoke.

“Hux.”

“Kylo.”

“What are you doing here?”

“In case you forgot, I work here.”

Kylo huffed. “I mean, what are you doing  _ here _ ? Shouldn’t you be in your office or something?”

“Shouldn’t I be asking you that?” Hux said coolly.

To his great satisfaction, that threw Kylo off. He looked ready to argue, only to stop short, uncertain. He looked away, jaw clenching. “They were doing it wrong…”

“They’re new. They’ll learn. My point is that it is no longer your job. You can’t do this, Kylo.”

“Can’t I do whatever I want, technically?” Kylo tilted his head. He reminded Hux of an insolent teenager.

“Not if it means neglecting your own duties! Which you have been and you know it.”

“I’m handling it just fine.”

“No, you aren’t! If you would just listen to me - “

“ _ I don’t need your help! _ ” Kylo shouted, voice booming in the empty space.

To his credit, Hux didn’t flinch. But he did decide he was wasting his time here. If Kylo thought he’d won this one, so be it. Hux had better things to do.

Without another word, he turned and walked away.

*

Each passing day brought new challenges that Hux never anticipated when he signed on for this. Namely, trying to work around the an incompetent, inflexible man who alternated between continuing to do jobs that were no longer his and holing up in his office for hours. Kylo wouldn’t work with him, and Hux wasn’t fond of the idea either, so Hux had to work twice as hard to keep the place from falling apart.

In spite of his efforts, things began slipping. It was just little issues here and there, but they added up. Two employees had quit and others were considering following their lead. The ones who remained were constantly on edge. The projects and paperwork that Hux couldn’t get Kylo to discuss with him began to pile up.

And then something new, something worse. Hux noticed it one day while reviewing information for an upcoming event. A few of their sponsors’ names were missing, he was sure of it.

After a bit of digging he was horrified to find it wasn’t just a clerical error. The sponsors had  _ dropped out entirely _ .

Hux slowly shut his laptop and stood from his desk, feeling an unsettling sense of impending doom deep in his chest. He finished up early that day and once the zoo was closed he went for a walk.

He took a winding, unorganized route, putting no particular thought into where he was going. He passed the komodo dragon, the gazelle, the pygmy hippo, the red panda. He stopped briefly to watch it happily chew on some bamboo. He continued on.

_ There are plenty of great zoos _ , he found himself thinking.  _ You have the credentials. You have no attachments here. What’s stopping you from just...leaving? _

He found himself standing in front of the pangolin enclosure. He watched the little guy dig fervently, perhaps seeking out some bugs to eat.

“It’s futile, you know,” he said to the creature. “You can work and work and what good will it do? Someone will come along and ruin it all…”

The pangolin stopped almost as if he’d heard and understood Hux. But of course that was ridiculous. The animal leaned down to lick at something on the ground before continuing his task.

Hux sighed. He admired the creature, really. Even in captivity it had maintained a sense of purpose, a drive and instinct that was technically unnecessary for an animal provided with regular meals every day, but which allowed it to continue to feel like  _ itself _ despite being in a world that was a cheap imitation of the one it was used to.

And that was something he could relate to.

_ This is why I prefer animals over humans, _ he thought. Some humans he would never understand, but animals made perfect sense. Their behaviors, their nature, could be studied and understood and worked with. Humans were wildcards.

He remembered the day the zoo got the pangolin. When he learned it was born at another zoo, Hux had  _ fought _ for it, knowing how rare they were and that every other zoo in the world would want it. But he knew their zoo, with its strong stance on conservation, highly trained staff, and record-high attendance, would be the best place to teach people about an animal so in need of protecting.

The memory strengthened his resolve.

All those triumphs, all his hard work. All for this place.  _ Which he loved _ . His apartment was just a place to crash at the end of the day and make his coffee in the morning. This,  _ this _ was his home.

And he wasn’t about to give it up.


	3. Chapter 3

After his realization of just how bad things had become under Kylo’s leadership, Hux made the uncharacteristic decision to work from home for the weekend. Any other day he’d prefer to be on the premises to keep an eye on things and to be reached easily by the staff. But he needed to regroup. To rethink his strategy for approaching all this.

On Monday morning he returned to the zoo feeling calmer than he had in weeks. He took a stroll to start the day, having missed the animals in his short absence, and felt ready to face whatever challenges met him today.

He didn’t have to wait long to find out what those challenges were. Out of the corner of his eye he could just make out a tall, darkly clad figure approaching. He’d know that intense gait anywhere.

He waited until Kylo was closer to acknowledge him, turning to face him with a carefully neutral expression. “Good morning,” he greeted almost amicably.

Kylo looked distressed. But then, he’d looked a wreck every day since receiving his new position.

_ What now? _ Hux couldn’t help but wonder.

Kylo stopped just short of Hux. Now that he was close, Hux could tell he was out of breath, a light sheen of sweat across his forehead, his hair a mess. Without meaning to, his eyes slipped down to Kylo’s broad chest, rising and falling rapidly as he tried to catch his breath. It really was unfortunate that someone so attractive was also such a pain in the ass.

“I need your help,” Kylo blurted out as soon as he could speak.

Hux nearly choked on air.

“You - what?”

“I need your help,” Kylo repeated, looking behind him and then back at Hux.

Was he dreaming? Had he entered some sort of alternate reality? Who was this, and what had they done with the real Kylo?

Hux’s brain finally rebooted and caught up with what was going on. “You need...my help. I  _ offered _ you my help, day after day, and you made it  _ abundantly _ clear that you had no wish to work with or listen to m-”

“It’s Millicent.”

Hux froze. “What?"

“There’s something wrong with Millicent. She’s acting strange. She won’t let anyone near her. We need to give her a sedative and get her to the vet, but when we try she gets aggressive. You’re...her favorite.” He looked pained to admit it. “If there’s anyone she’ll let close, it’s you.” Kylo took a shaky breath. “ _ Please, _ Hux. Don’t do it for me, okay? Do it for her.”

Hux would have loved a moment to bask in the satisfaction of stubborn Kylo admitting he was better suited for something, of him  _ begging for Hux’s help _ . But there wasn’t a moment to spare. Not when one of his animals needed help.

“Show me.”

He walked side by side with Kylo, their long strides matching as they hurried to the back room of the tiger enclosure. The male was outside minding his own business while two keepers stood inside, at a standoff with the defensive tiger.

Millicent had backed up into one corner, growling low in her throat. The young keepers looked terrified and were immediately relieved to see Hux.

“Sir, she’s - “

“I know. You two go help elsewhere. We’ll handle this.”

“Yes sir.” They hurried out, leaving Hux and Kylo alone with the tiger.

“Should I go call the vet? She comes in in an hour, but I can see if she can be here sooner…”

“You’ll stay here,” Hux said firmly but not harshly. “If Millicent does lash out, you may need to subdue her.” He hated the idea of using force, but he had no idea what state Millicent was in, and even if he was her favorite, she was a wild animal. There was no guarantee that she wouldn’t attack him. “And you may need to call more than just the vet.”

He met Kylo’s eyes and understanding passed between them.  _ You need to have my back _ . Kylo nodded.

“Be careful,” he said, more softly than Hux had ever heard him.

Hux held his hand out and Kylo handed him the syringe. Hux slipped it into his back pocket. With one hand he grabbed some of Millicent’s treats.

Slowly, he began to approach. He held the treats up for her to see and kept the other hand extended up where she could see it. She continued growling as he drew close. Hux could feel his pulse pounding in his ears. This could go very, very badly, and he knew it. But he had to try.

“Hey there, gorgeous girl,” he spoke softly to her. He crouched a few feet away from her, reaching his free hand out for her to sniff. His hand trembled.

The tiger leaned her head in, still rumbling, and smelled his hand. Her eyes darted between the hand in front of her and the one holding treats. Slowly, so slowly, he took one treat and slid it to her. “Hungry?”

She licked the treat a couple of times but then pushed it away. That was odd...Millicent  _ never _ turned down treats. Maybe she was sick.

Concern overrode his fear and Hux scooted closer. He dropped the rest of the treats in front of her. While she licked at them he slipped the syringe from his pocket. Keeping one hand in her view, he slowly moved the syringe to one of her strong legs and slid the needle in.

Millicent jolted and Hux’s heart nearly jumped out of his chest. But she just jiggled her leg as if shaking off a pesky bug. He exhaled slowly and pressed down on the plunger to inject the medicine. As soon as it was all in, he carefully removed the syringe and backed away, remaining crouched down until he was halfway across the room before standing. He continued backing toward the opposite wall, his eyes fixed on Millicent.

He startled when he felt a warm hand on his back.

“Hux?” a deep voice said. “Are you okay?”

He looked up.  _ Oh, right. Kylo _ . Kylo, who looked...concerned. That was new.

“Yes,” he said, voice raspy. He cleared his throat. “Yes, I’m fine.”

The hand dropped away. “Holy shit. You did it. I really thought I was going to be cleaning up a bloodbath there…”

“Your confidence is inspiring,” he retorted without any real heat, still shaken.

Hux and Kylo stood watching Millicent as she gradually grew drowsy and fell asleep. Finally they both relaxed.

“ _ Now _ you may call the vet,” Hux breathed. To his surprise, Kylo let out a near-hysterical giggle. He quickly sobered.

“Yeah. Yeah I’ll do that.”

*

Just over an hour later they found themselves in the clinic, the zoo’s head vet finishing up her examination. She turned to them with a smile on her face.

“What is it?” Hux demanded, while at the same time Kylo asked, “is she okay?”

“She’s perfectly fine. She’ll just need some changes in her care.”

“What does that mean?” Kylo asked.

“She’s pregnant.”

Kylo and Hux stared at her.

Hux was the first to manage to speak. “She’s...really?”

“Yes, really.”

Of course Hux knew this wasn’t only a possibility; it was what they’d been  _ hoping _ for as part of their SSP program. He had just been so focused on the chaos that had become his daily life dealing with Kylo that he nearly forgot the other important work the zoo was doing.

Millicent was pregnant. It was…

“That’s amazing,” Kylo said beside him, voice laced with awe as he stared down at the still-unconscious tiger. He reached a hand out and stroked her head. “Wow Millie...you’re gonna be a mom…”

The vet stepped away to clean up some equipment. Hux stood on the other side of the table where Millicent lay and put his hand on her side, feeling her slow, steady breathing.

He could feel Kylo’s gaze on him. Slowly he raised his head and their eyes met.

Kylo looked like a different man. His deep eyes were shining with emotion, his mouth hanging open a little. Then his lips curved up into a smile, eyes crinkling at the edges. 

Before he knew it, Hux was smiling back. They stood together watching over Millicent and like night fading into day, something subtle but vital shifted.

_ Maybe we aren’t so different. _


	4. Chapter 4

After the scare with Millie, life at the zoo returned to normal.

Well, almost.

The day they found out the tiger was pregnant, Hux didn’t see Kylo again the rest of the day. The resulting calm was suspicious but not unwelcome. Hux needed time to process everything that had just transpired.

When he arrived the next morning, he expected some sort of incident, bad news, _ something _. But all was well. The staff seemed at ease and Kylo was nowhere near any of the cat enclosures.

Hux headed to his office, uneasiness churning in his gut. Inside the building it was just as calm, just as uneventful.

As if on cue, Kylo’s office door opened and he stepped out, nearly colliding with Hux. He looked as surprised to see Hux as Hux was to see him, though they were both there at their usual time.

“Hux - hi.” Kylo said first.

_ That’s it? Hi? _

“...hello,” he replied warily.

Hux waited for...something. A complaint, an issue, an insult, anything. He almost _ wanted _ it to happen. Chaos he could handle, but this eerie calm, this lack of conflict, was somehow more daunting.

But Kylo merely offered what could almost pass for a smile and kept walking. Hux stared at his office door, truly at a loss.

It was like that all week. Hux either didn’t hear from Kylo at all or only saw him in passing. And those few and far between encounters were accompanied only by a quick, awkward nod or a mumbled greeting. No hostility, no glares, no arguments. Just two coworkers going about their day.

Somehow, an unspoken truce had settled over them. Hux supposed the news of Millicent’s pregnancy was the catalyst, but he didn’t understand why it had changed Kylo’s demeanor so dramatically.

It wasn’t one-sided, though, and Hux knew it. His view of Kylo had changed too, whether he liked it or not. He always knew Kylo was a skilled keeper, but until that day he never gave him credit for how much he _ cared _ about the animals, especially the cats.

Seeing Kylo, the most obstinate man he’d ever met, swallow his pride enough to go to Hux for help, to _ beg _ for his help...it gave Hux a glimpse of something beneath Kylo’s abrasive demeanor. To the man underneath who was the sort of man to devote his life to the care of animals. And in spite of all his better judgment, Hux found himself wanting to see more of _ that _ man. Maybe that man would be someone he could work with.

If nothing else, he’d enjoy this peace for as long as it lasted.

*

On a sunny day at the beginning of July, Hux got a rare opportunity. One of the aquarists had come down with a sudden stomach bug and had to leave early. With many staff members on summer vacation and fewer seasonal hires than usual that year, they found themselves short-handed.

Rather than move around the already busy remaining keepers, Hux offered to step in and finish his duties for the day. It wasn’t common, but it happened every now and then that he got to fill in for a keeper like this. He _ was _ qualified even if he rarely had the chance to prove it. And as he was the director, no one ever questioned him.

At least, no one had before. He hoped Kylo being in charge wouldn’t change that, especially after the hard time Hux had given him for doing keeper work instead of being in his office. He found himself regretting that a little now. It was evident that Kylo was never suited to life behind a desk. Hux, too, had imagined something different for himself once upon a time. They had both been forced into roles they never truly wanted. Hux was just better at playing the part.

Hux didn’t have a keeper’s uniform and was too proud to ask for one, so he began working in his usual attire of slacks and a button-up. He simply rolled the sleeves up to his elbows and unbuttoned the top button. At least inside the aquarium it was climate-controlled. He wouldn’t have to worry about the sweltering heat, just the inevitable mess of working hands on. It was more than worth it to him.

It took a little while for him to get the hang of some things, but he was a fast learner. He happily went about the tasks of feeding the fish and other animals, cleaning and putting away equipment, and checking the water temperature and quality.

There were moments when he could swear he saw movement out of the corner of his eye but when he looked there was no one there. Occasionally other staff would pass by - a janitor, a vet tech, once one of the educators leading a tour group. But none of them explained the strange feeling that he was being _ watched. _

He was leaning over one of the tanks taking the temperature of the water when spots began to dance in his vision. They were soon accompanied by slight dizziness. Hux stubbornly ignored it. In his excitement to do some real hands on work, he’d forgotten to eat lunch that day. But it was fine. He was almost done here, then he could go grab something - 

Except it wasn’t fine. He closed his eyes and opened them again, but the dizziness persisted. Sighing, he drew his hand back out of the water and attempted to stand.

Which, it turned out, was a terrible idea.

He swayed, darkness creeping in at the edges of his vision, before losing his balance completely and toppling sideways into the tank with a _ splash! _

The suddenness of it was the worst part. He didn’t even have a chance to hold his breath before he plunged under, the foul-tasting water filling his mouth and choking him. He was upside down and struggled to right himself while trying not to pass out. _ If I can just get upright I can swim up, it’s not even that deep a tank… _

There was a sound from above him and the water tossed about as something else entered it. Then Hux felt something grab his arm. He squirmed, fearful, but the grip only moved around his shoulders and legs.

Then he was being lifted upwards. In his mind’s muddled state it looked as if he was moving towards a bright light. Was he drowning? Was this it?

He broke through the surface of the water and somehow ended up on the hard floor beside the tank. Voices were shouting, there were blurs of motion all around him. Someone was manhandling him, saying his name...

Hux turned onto his side and began to retch violently, and then to vomit up water and bile. He felt a hand on his back keeping him steady, another on his head pushing his hair back out of his face.

It continued until there was nothing left. He coughed and sputtered, throat raw, lungs burning.

An arm wrapped around his shoulders and sat him up while he took shaky, wheezing breaths laced with occasional coughs. He groaned and rubbed at his stinging eyes with one hand.

“Hux?”

His eyes shot open. That voice…

Sure enough, the one holding him was none other than Kylo. He was as soaked as Hux, his long hair limp and dripping and clinging to his face, large ears poking through. Concern was written all over his face, etched into his brow.

“I’m fine,” Hux rasped, the response automatic. He was always fine. He wasn’t permitted to be anything else.

As if his own body wanted to contradict the words, a wave of nausea washed over him. With another groan he closed his eyes and leaned into the only surface present: Kylo’s sturdy body, his wet shirt clinging to his skin, emphasizing every muscle…

_ Oh, God. I must have inhaled more water than I thought _.

“Fine. Right.” Kylo said, clearly unconvinced.

Hux didn’t have a chance to argue. At that moment, several staff members rushed in, including Phasma.

“Is he okay?”

“What _ happened? _”

“He fell in.”

“Yeah, I can see that, but - “

“I’m fine,” Hux cut in, refusing to open his eyes and see their expressions. He was never, ever going to live this down…

“Wait,” one voice said. “Which tank is this?”

“The sea turtle, I think.”

There was a brief silence, and then someone snorted.

“Wow, Kylo. Very brave of you to save Hux from the dangerous wild _ sea turtle _,” Phasma said and the group couldn’t quite contain their laughter. “He sure is lucky you were here.”

Hux opened his eyes.

Phasma was standing with a few other employees. They were all younger, clearly afraid to add anything to Phasma’s commentary, but unlike them she wasn’t scared of Kylo _ or _ Hux and never missed an opportunity to speak her mind.

He looked at Kylo, who was red in the face. “Shut up, Phasma.”

“Why _ were _ you here, anyway? Since when do you hang around the aquarium?”

“I was - I had - work to do here, it was - “

“Uh huh…”

“Don’t _ you _have work to do?” Kylo snapped.

Phasma only grinned harder. “I’d much rather watch you play hero. Gonna go save someone from the otters next?”

Hux tuned them out. He was too tired for this, and besides, there were other things to focus on.

Like how Kylo was still holding him, his grip strong and reassuring. Or how the ends of his hair curled as they began to dry. Or how nice it felt to rest his head against his shoulder.

Or how he had jumped in after Hux without hesitation.

Sea turtles or not, that was something.

*

Hux and Kylo made their walk of shame back to the main building to change. _ At least the zoo is closed, _ Hux thought. His clothes were clinging uncomfortably, he smelled like tank water, and he’d just emptied the contents of his stomach onto the aquarium floor. He didn’t need public humiliation on top of all that. It was bad enough that word was quickly spreading through the staff what had happened. By tomorrow everyone would know.

It wasn’t until they made it to the hall outside their offices that Hux realized he didn’t have anything to change into. He never had a reason to bring spare clothes before.

He sighed miserably, stopping to lean against the wall. He still had at least an hour or two of work to do and then a thirty-minute drive home. Was he just supposed to stay like this?

Kylo stopped short of opening his office door and turned to look at Hux. “What’s wrong?” He hadn’t spoken a word on the walk over and that was perfectly fine with Hux.

“I don’t have anything dry to put on,” Hux admitted irritably.

“Oh, is that all? I have extra uniforms. You can borrow one.”

Hux looked over to him, not even bothering to hide his surprise. A month ago Kylo would have mocked him, told him it was his own fault for not being prepared. Now he was offering up his own clothes? Hux felt like he’d stepped into an alternate dimension.

He followed Kylo into his office and shut the door behind them, lest someone wander by and see him removing his clothes in Kylo’s office. He shuddered at the rumors _ that _would start.

Kylo opened a drawer and pulled out a red polo and pair of black cargo pants. They were wrinkled from being stuffed in there unfolded, but otherwise clean and in good condition. Hux took them gratefully.

“I’ll be right back,” he said, turning for the door.

“You can change in here,” Kylo mumbled. “I won’t look.” He was already peeling off his own damp polo and Hux’s face burned. For a moment he couldn’t pull his eyes away from the sudden expanse of skin dotted with moles, the broad chest, a surprisingly soft-looking stomach with a sparse trail of dark hair leading down to the waistline of his pants…

He turned away quickly, before Kylo pulled his head through the shirt and caught him staring. “You’d better not,” he said coolly, as though he hadn’t just been ogling the other man.

Kylo chuckled. “Just tell me when you’re done.” He turned away as he undressed fully and Hux forced himself not to glance back.

Hux shivered as soon as he got the damp clothes off, goosebumps rising on his skin from the air conditioned room. It was a relief to pull the warm, dry shirt over his head and put on the pants. Both were large on him and he had to take the belt from his slacks and put it on just to keep the cargo pants from slipping down his hips. He was still barefoot and his hair was hopelessly disheveled but he already felt much better.

He turned back around to see Kylo still obediently facing the opposite wall, hands shoved deep into his pockets. Hux considered keeping quiet and letting him stand there a little longer, but he didn’t have it in him to toy with Kylo, not today.

“All finished,” he said.

Kylo turned. His eyes skimmed down Hux and back up and Hux felt a flush creep across his cheeks at the appraising look. There was something intimate about wearing another person’s clothes and they both knew it.

“How do I look?” Hux joked. He knew he looked ridiculous in the oversized clothes with his ginger hair flopping into his face - 

“Good,” Kylo said. “It suits you.”

_ What? _

Hux swallowed. “Oh. Thank you.” He looked down at the uniform wistfully, feeling the fabric. “Never thought I’d get to wear one of these if I’m being honest.”

“Why not?”

“It’s...a long story.”

“I’ve got time,” Kylo replied automatically.

Hux gaped at him. Kylo just continued to surprise him today. Pulling him from the water, offering his clothes, now showing interest in his life. It was strange to say the least, but not entirely unwelcome either.

When he didn’t answer right away, Kylo pulled out a chair and motioned to it. “Have a seat?”

Hux gave in and sat down. Kylo remained standing and instead leaned back against the edge of the desk. Hux lowered his gaze to the desk calendar - which was, he noted with distant approval, now on the correct month.

“Growing up I spent more time with my tutor than my own father - “

“What about your mother?” Kylo interrupted. Hux glared at him and he quickly shut his mouth, looking appropriately chastised.

“Never met her,” he replied. “_ Anyway _ . My tutor, Rae, she doubled as a nanny I suppose. She would take me to the zoo a lot because it was the one place she knew I wouldn’t run off. I was too fascinated by the animals. I read every sign, _ memorized _ the facts and would spout them back to her on the ride home.” He smiled wistfully. “From a very young age I knew I wanted to work with animals.”

He paused for long enough that Kylo gently asked, “So? What stopped you?”

“My father,” he answered bluntly. “He wanted me to go into the military like him, but I wasn’t cut out for it physically. Not strong enough, too many allergies. Then he hoped maybe politics or law. When I, at age fifteen, told him I wanted to be a zookeeper, well…” Hux gave a humorless laugh. “Let’s just say he didn’t take that well.”

Kylo frowned but didn’t interrupt this time. 

“After that I resigned myself to pursuing something he’d approve of. Zoo management seemed like a compromise, so I did that. I think deep down I secretly hoped I’d still end up a zookeeper, but as time went on that...didn’t happen. And now here I am.”

As he spoke Hux fiddled with the hem of his shirt. When he finished he forced himself to look up at Kylo’s expression, his jaw set, daring Kylo to judge him.

But Kylo wasn’t judging him. He looked _ sad _ for him. Far too sad for Hux’s liking.

“I like my job,” he added quickly. “I _ do _. I get to order everyone around.” That at least earned a small smile from Kylo. “And I still get to be around animals. It’s enough. Really.”

Kylo looked doubtful. Finally he spoke, his voice low. “Is that why you hated me? Because I had what you couldn’t have?”

Hux gaped at him. _ I didn’t hate you _, he almost said, but that wouldn’t be entirely true.

“I may have had a slight distaste for you, yes, but that wasn’t why. It was your...stubbornness, your temper.” He sighed. “And, if I’m being honest...the way Snoke always favored you. I never understood it. I was used to being top of the class, so to speak, and seeing someone I considered undeserving given so much power - “

He cut off his ramble, flinching. There was honest and then there was - whatever _ that _was. They’d finally reached something like peace and he was going to ruin it all by running his mouth.

Kylo’s face was unreadable. Not for lack of emotion, but too much of it. Tension, sadness, contemplation, understanding. How one face could hold so much he’d never know. But there was no anger.

Slowly he sat in the other chair and sighed, leaning forward with his arms folded across the desk.

“Yeah...I get that,” he muttered. “I didn’t exactly go to school for any of this.”

“How - if you don’t mind me asking - how did you end up here?” Hux asked carefully.

Kylo hesitated. “My turn for a long story?”

“By all means.”

“Growing up I didn’t get along with my parents. They weren’t bad exactly, my mom was just busy a lot and my dad was gone a lot and I had too much energy and…” He ran a hand through his hair, wincing when his fingers caught on a knot. “We never saw eye to eye I guess. So when I was sixteen I ran away.”

Hux’s eyes widened. “Oh.”

“Yeah. I ran to the only place I’d ever felt at home - here. As a kid I came here all the time, if my parents were fighting or if I cut class or...just if I felt like it. I fell in love with every animal. I _ cried _ when that beautiful polar bear they used to have died. I’m pretty sure I like animals more than people - “

Hux snorted. Kylo quickly looked up, defensive.

“What?”

“No, it’s - I - me too. That’s all. Me too.”

“Oh.” Kylo blinked. “Well anyway. I came here and figured out who was in charge. Then I walked right up to Snoke and asked him for a job here.” Kylo shook his head. “I still can’t believe he gave me one. But he saw..._ potential _ in me, he said. I guess because I was a dropout with no family ties and no other experience. Someone he could train and shape how he wanted. By the end of my first year I was already working in enclosures and doing clicker training. My second year I got to work with the cats for the first time and that was it. I knew where I wanted to be.”

Hux listened patiently. Part of him couldn’t believe that Kylo had actually gotten this job by just...walking up and asking for it. But he had a feeling there was more to the story.

Kylo continued on.“But it wasn’t all perfect. I didn’t make more than the other keepers and for the first few years I lived on a cot in an office that wasn’t in use at the time - “

“You _ lived _ here?” Hux interrupted.

“Yeah,” he admitted sheepishly. “Until I saved up enough for a crappy place a few blocks down. Snoke allowed it, he didn’t tell anyone.” Kylo scratched at the desk with his fingernail. “He also was a lot harder on me than people saw. He’d yell at me for every mistake, make me work twice as hard, sometimes without pay. And I swear he...he didn’t want me to be friends with the other keepers. He’d say and do things to make me resentful of them and them of me. So I never had friends here. I’d work all day and go home alone and that was it. If I didn’t love the animals so much I don’t know how long I would have stuck around. But for them it was worth it.”

Silence fell over them. Hux had no idea what to say. Fortunately he got the feeling Kylo didn’t really want him to say anything. 

Eventually, curiosity got the better of him.

“And me?”

“Hm?”

“When I started. What did you think of me?”

Kylo smiled halfheartedly. “When the old director left and you came in I thought, finally, someone close to my age who isn’t another keeper. Maybe I could be friends with him.”

“You’re joking.”

“I’m not.”

“But the first day we met I - “

“Looked at me like I was a bug on the windshield and then spent half an hour sucking up to Snoke?”

“Something like that.” Hux looked away, cheeks flushed. He never, not once, considered befriending Kylo when he started here.

Out of the corner of his eye Hux saw something reach slowly towards him. He turned back to see Kylo holding out his hand.

“Let’s try again,” Kylo said quietly, something hesitant in his gaze like he was once again the awkward young man Hux had met on a bright summer day five long years ago.

Hux swallowed tightly. Their eyes were locked and try as he might he couldn’t look away. He looked at Kylo’s face as though really seeing it for the first time.

He reached out, clasped Kylo’s hand and shook it.

“Nice to meet you,” he said, voice hoarse. “I’m Hux.”

Kylo’s face barely changed, but his eyes gleamed with sudden joy and relief.

“Hi Hux,” he said, returning the handshake. “I’m Kylo.”


	5. Chapter 5

When Hux arrived at work the day after the tank incident, it was with the washed and neatly folded keeper uniform draped over one arm, his briefcase in one hand and a cup carrier with two cups of coffee precariously balanced in the other.

He tapped at Kylo’s door with his foot, unsure if he would even be here this early. But after a brief pause the door opened and a groggy, suspicious Kylo answered.

“Oh,” he said when he saw Hux. “It’s you.”

“Were you expecting someone else?”

“No, no it’s just...really early.” He glanced at the coffee Hux held and then away.

“I like being here before everyone else. Why are  _ you _ here so early?”

Kylo hesitated to answer. “I’ve been coming in early some days to...try to sort things out,” he admitted. He looked ashamed to admit it and Hux realized it was the first time he’d acknowledged that anything  _ needed _ sorting out.

“Well,” Hux said. “Would some coffee help?” He held out the carrier.

Kylo looked at it with bewilderment. “You brought me coffee?”

“And your uniform back,” Hux added, deflecting. He was suddenly self conscious. Would Kylo want a visitor this early? Did he even  _ like _ coffee?

“Uh. Come in,” Kylo said awkwardly, holding the door open for Hux. He shut the door behind him and hurried over to clear some space on the cluttered desk for Hux to set the drinks.

It was a relief to finally put everything down. Hux sighed, sinking into the chair and reaching for his coffee. Right as his hand closed around it both of Kylo’s did too, enveloping Hux’s hand and the cup.

For a moment neither moved. Hux wasn’t sure what was warmer, his hand trapped between the cup of hot liquid and Kylo’s hands, or his  _ face _ . It felt as though all his blood was rushing to it all at once.  _ I must look ridiculous… _

Kylo wasn’t looking at his face, though, but at their hands around the cup. Slowly he traced his calloused thumb along Hux’s wrist, fascinated. Hux shivered.

As if snapped out of a trance, Kylo pulled his hands away and took the other cup instead.

“Sorry,” he said, “sorry, I - didn’t know which one was mine.”

“Doesn’t matter. They’re both the same,” Hux said stiffly, still staring at the spot where Kylo’s thumb had brushed.

Kylo nodded, sipping at his coffee and wincing when it burned his tongue. He stared down at the desk, looking like he wanted to crawl underneath it and hide.

Hux picked up his own drink and blew on it to cool it down. They sat in uncomfortable silence until Kylo finally spoke again.

“Sorry it’s such a mess,” he said with a sigh, looking around the cluttered office. “I’ve been trying to sort it all out, but…”

“He never trained you for this, did he?” Hux asked quietly.

It wasn’t an accusation at Kylo but at Snoke. It was becoming clear that dropping ownership of the zoo on Kylo was more curse than blessing. Now that he was actually paying attention, he could see all the ways it was wearing on Kylo. He looked perpetually exhausted and tense, his hair a little messier, his uniforms a little more rumpled. He was barely keeping his head above water, Hux realized. And there was only so long one could tread before they drowned.

Kylo shook his head. Hux braced himself and then said, very carefully,

“If you want, I can go through it with you. Maybe stay late a few days and tackle everything.”

The last time Hux had offered Kylo his help it had blown up in his face. Then again, the offer wasn’t so well-intentioned the first time. He only wanted to be in control and lord his superiority over Kylo.

Kylo remembered it that way too, Hux could tell from his wary expression as he considered Hux with his head tilted slightly.

“You’d do that?” He asked.

“I would.”

Kylo hummed, still thinking. Then, to Hux’s surprise, he got up from his chair, walked over to the door and locked it. When he sat back down he looked even more conflicted.

“Kylo,” Hux said. “What is it?”

“It’s about Snoke,” Kylo muttered. “Hux, what I’m about to tell you...it’s not good. If it left this room - “

“Just  _ tell me _ ,” Hux insisted, growing worried.

Kylo sighed, casting his eyes down to the cluttered paperwork. He folded his arms across the desk and leaned forward, speaking quietly.

“You know how some of our sponsors dropped out?”

“Yes…”

“It’s probably good that they did,” he said. Catching Hux’s appalled look, he quickly continued. “They were shady as hell, Hux. Turns out Snoke was involved in some not so legal stuff. Extortion, bribery...I’m pretty sure one of the sponsors’ businesses was a front for a drug cartel. I’m not kidding.”

Hux frowned. He had never expected something that bad, but he couldn’t say that he was surprised, either. Snoke was always enigmatic and Hux often got the feeling he was hiding something. Turns out it was a lot of somethings.

“So why did they drop out?” he asked.

“Because he’s gone. They don’t know me and don’t trust me. Like I said, it’s probably good that they’re gone, but now I’m suspicious of  _ every  _ sponsor, I don’t know what’s what anymore. Plus we need to find new ones or we won’t make the budget…” he sighed deeply, running a hand through his hair and looking down again. “But Hux...it gets worse…”

_ Worse than that? How? _

Kylo lowered his voice even more and Hux had to lean in to be able to hear him.

“Some of the animals here...the way Snoke got them, he...they were…” He closed his eyes, brow pinched. “He got them from poachers…”

Hux’s breath caught in his throat. Okay, that  _ was _ worse. Much worse. Unsavory sponsors he could handle, but knowing that some of their animals had been acquired illegally was another matter entirely. It compromised everything he and the zoo were supposed to stand for.

“How many?” He breathed. “Which ones?”

“I’m still sorting that out, but...the gorillas, definitely. The snow leopard. The sea lions, the Amazon river dolphin, the sloth, at least one rhino. And…” He stopped, looking distraught.

_ No... _

“...and Millicent,” Hux finished for him, voice hoarse. Kylo nodded in confirmation and Hux thought he might be sick.

Meanwhile Kylo looked like he might  _ cry _ . “It’s so fucked up, Hux, all of it. All this time I thought this place was... _ good _ and  _ right. _ I gave up  _ everything _ to be here, I devoted my life to it, and he was - “ He put his head in his hands, gripping his hair tightly. “I didn’t know, I  _ swear _ . But...I had a bad feeling about him sometimes. I thought he might be hiding something, but I - I never questioned it. I was  _ afraid  _ to. He gave me the keeper position when I had no training, he let me live here when I had no home...if I defied him, what reason would he have not to throw me out…”

_ I gave you this. I can take it away. _ Hux remembered the chill up his spine he got any time Snoke reminded him he was replaceable. He, too, was afraid to push, afraid to ask too many questions, for fear of losing what he’d worked so hard for.

Hux sat back in his chair with his hands folded, his throat feeling tight. He was shaken by the revelations, certainly, but didn’t feel nearly as wrecked as Kylo looked.

_ I didn’t know, I swear _ .

Suddenly Hux understood why Kylo had been so scared to tell him. Why he refused Hux’s help, or to even let him look at what he was dealing with.

Kylo was Snoke’s successor and long-time employee and protégé. If all the gritty details of Snoke’s dealings were to get out, Kylo would certainly be implicated along with him. He could claim all he wanted that he didn’t know; his hands were all over the proof, both physical and digital. And with Snoke gone and no other witnesses, there was no one to vouch for his innocence. He could face legal action, maybe jail time, and he would never work in a zoo again.

In his admission of Snoke’s crimes, Kylo had given Hux everything he needed to absolutely ruin him.

And the thing was, a few months ago Hux would have reported him without mercy or hesitation. He would have  _ reveled  _ in watching Kylo walk out the gates in handcuffs, never to return.

But now...

Hux let out a slow breath, easing the tension from his shoulders.

“Here’s what we do,” he began, more confidently than he felt. “We go through  _ everything _ . Sponsors, the animals’ records, all of it. We weed out the bad and rebuild what we have to. The animals he got that way are here now, there’s not much we can do about that, but we can prevent it from ever happening again. And there are plenty of potential new sponsors, we can start a list…”

Slowly, Kylo’s face emerged from behind his hands. His cheeks were flushed and eyes wet as he stared at Hux.

“We?” he asked, voice cracking.

“Yes, we,” Hux answered firmly. He reached out and placed his hand on Kylo’s arm, an awkward but genuine attempt at comfort. “This is  _ our _ zoo, isn’t it? Don’t we know it better than anyone? It’s broken now, but we can fix it.”

Kylo’s lip trembled, but he sat up straighter, bolstered by Hux’s words. “Yeah...yeah, okay. I’ll do whatever it takes.”

“Me too.”

To Hux’s relief, Kylo looked much less on the verge of a breakdown. He reached up a hand to smooth down his mussed hair and Hux reluctantly pulled his hand away from Kylo’s arm. He cleared his throat, stood, and picked up his now-lukewarm coffee. “I should...get to my office.”

“Of course. Yeah.” Kylo looked up at him, his face still so full of relief and gratitude it was impossible to look away. “Thank you, Hux.” His lips turned up into a half-smile. “For...the coffee.”

“Right. The coffee.” Hux chuckled and the last of the lingering tension left the room. Kylo was smiling fully now and just like that, Hux believed it would all be okay.

*

Hux didn’t see Kylo for the rest of the day. That was probably for the best. He needed some time to process everything he’d just learned and to form a more solid plan.

Luckily he was a quick thinker. By the end of the day Hux had come up with tangible, step-by-step ideas for getting the zoo back to how it should be. He just needed to go over them with Kylo.

Never, he thought as he packed up his things,  _ never  _ did he imagine he would be planning to meet after-hours with Kylo without even an ounce of dread or irritation. He was nervous about successfully executing his plans, he was hesitant to look at the details of all of Snoke’s misdeeds, but he wasn’t worried about spending time with Kylo.

A little after six-o’clock he tapped on Kylo’s office door. When it opened, Kylo peered out as guardedly as he had before. Once he saw it was Hux, though, he looked relieved and stepped back to let him in.

“Thanks for coming,” he said as he shut the door.

“Of course.” Hux looked around. The office had gotten marginally neater. The previously scattered about papers were stacked - in messy stacks, but still, there was the semblance of organization beginning to form. Kylo’s laptop was open on the desk and the paper coffee cup Hux brought him coffee in that morning was full and steaming once more. Hux glanced to his left to see a small coffee machine plugged in and sitting on top of a small filing cabinet. He raised an eyebrow.

“Been busy?”

Kylo chuckled. He pushed his hair back out of his face and plopped down into his chair. “Yeah, actually. Trying to get things organized so it’ll be easier to go through. There’s just so much and Snoke’s filing system makes no sense. A lot of the current stuff is digital - “ he motioned to a little flash drive sticking out of the side of his laptop. “But everything before 2005 is on paper…”

“We’ll figured it out,” Hux assured him.

Kylo nodded. He looked over the desk and then out the window, frowning.

“Do we have to figure it out here?”

“What do you mean?”

“I’ve been in this goddamn office all day and I bet you have too. Let’s go somewhere else.”

“Like...where?”

“Like dinner?”

Hux gaped at him. “...dinner?”

Kylo’s lips twitched up. “Yeah. You know, when someone eats a meal, usually late afternoon…”

“I know what dinner is,” Hux snapped.

Undeterred, Kylo pressed on. “Have you eaten today?”

“I had a granola bar.”

“That’s not a meal, Hux.” He paused. “Do you do this every day? Skip meals?”

“I’m a busy person. I eat when I can.” Hux defended himself. But he only confirmed Kylo’s suspicions.

“God, Hux, no wonder you passed out.” Kylo stood up, closing his laptop and tucking it into a carrying case. “Come on. We’re going to do business over dinner.” He quickly grew uncertain when he caught sight of Hux’s bewildered stare. “My treat?” He offered.

Hux’s heart pounded a frantic rhythm in his chest. Why the thought of spending time with Kylo outside of the zoo made him so anxious he had no idea. They would be discussing the same things they would here in the office, right? What was the difference?

In spite of his fears Hux found himself unable to turn Kylo down. “Alright. But I’m picking where,” he insisted, trying to regain some footing. “I hope you like Thai.”

Kylo grinned. “Are you kidding? I love it. Let’s go.”

*

Within an hour Hux found himself in a round booth with a bowl of panang curry and his leg nearly brushing Kylo’s as they sat side-by-side looking at his laptop. Kylo had a noodle dish Hux didn’t recognize. From the way he kept turning away to eagerly devour it, it seemed Hux wasn’t the only one who had skipped meals that day.

Hux admired how unbothered he was by this bizarre turn of events. They were  _ eating dinner together _ . At a  _ restaurant _ . Before today they’d never even sat in the employee break room at the same time. He wished he could go back in time and tell his past self about this, just to see his own reaction.

It turned out when they weren’t at each other’s throats they worked surprisingly well together. They compiled a list of all the remaining sponsors, highlighted the ones most and least in need of examining, and split up the list so they could each take some to look into further, with a plan to meet up again at the end of the week to share their findings. Already a weight seemed to lift from Kylo’s shoulders.

Eventually the conversation turned from work to other things. An innocent comment by Hux remembering a holiday fundraising event years ago led to taking turns reminiscing about different events over the years. Specifically how out of place they both felt at formal occasions.

“I’m the  _ director _ so of course I’m expected to greet everyone, have all the answers, talk all night...sometimes I have to give  _ a fucking speech _ ,” Hux vented while Kylo nodded in agreement.

“Snoke would drag me around with him to talk up our animals. I think he didn’t want to be caught showing off so he made me do it. I barely got to touch the food most evenings,” Kylo grumbled. He closed his laptop and pushed it aside. “But Hux, you seem perfect for those sort of events. You’re...I dunno, professional?”

Hux sighed and stirred at the leftover sauce in his otherwise empty dish. “I had to go to a lot of fancy parties with my family growing up. So I guess I can play the part. But I’d rather be with the lemurs or the anteaters - or the tigers - any day. After all, I prefer animals to people.” He gave an awkward smile, hoping Kylo also remembered that conversation.

It seemed he did. He laughed and Hux was drawn to how warm his eyes looked and how endearingly crooked his teeth were.

“Yeah, exactly,” Kylo agreed. He chewed on his bottom lip and Hux had to look away. “But you know,” he mused, “as far as humans go, you aren’t so bad.”

Hux’s head snapped up to look at him. He didn’t know what he expected - mocking, sarcasm maybe - but all he found was sincerity.

“That’s the nicest thing anyone’s ever said to me,” he deadpanned in return.

Kylo’s face split in to a grin. He turned to face Hux more fully.

“How about something even nicer?”

Heat rose to Hux’s cheeks.  _ Where is he going with this? _

“What would that be?”

“You want to work with the animals more, right?”

“...right.”

“And I’m the boss, right?”

“Kylo just get to the point.”

“You do a lot of work that you don’t  _ have  _ to do. We have enough employees. And you’re helping me out with this mess Snoke left. Let me transfer some of your more boring crap to, I dunno, Mitaka. He won’t mind. And then you’ll have more time to do the things you want. We can get you a few keeper uniforms…”

Whatever Hux expected this wasn’t it, but it was better, it was  _ wonderful _ . Joyful anticipation filled his chest until he thought he might burst. Only his perfected self-control kept him from throwing his arms around Kylo’s neck, but it was a close thing.

“So?” Kylo asked, eyes flickering over Hux’s face, searching for a reaction. “What do you say?”

Hux let out a shaky breath and swallowed down the rush of words that threatened to escape.

“I say...I’m buying your dinner.”

*

Summer crept onwards and soon the sun set just that little bit earlier each day and in the zoo offices talk began of fall programs and school field trip visits.

Day by day Kylo and Hux slowly unravelled the tangled mess Snoke had left them. It took long hours in their office and several more dinners out to talk plans - always suggested by Kylo, and always leading to talking about things other than said plans. They still argued but it was never like before, never with that utter resentment and disdain but instead heated, passionate debates, the byproduct of two strong personalities learning to coexist. More often than not they ended quickly and resulted in progress and a better understanding of one another.

Hux tentatively felt that things were finally going  _ well _ . He was a worrier by nature and sometimes wondered if this peace was too good to be true. But it was such an improvement over how things were before that he refused to let himself dwell on it.

He also refused to dwell on how strange his relationship with Kylo had become, how the lines between  _ coworker _ and  _ maybe friend _ had become blurred. Or the things he found himself noticing whenever Kylo was around, like how nice his hair always looked or how big his hands were or how Hux could see the outline of his muscles even through his loosest shirts…

Those were things he  _ definitely didn’t think about _ .

Luckily he had plenty of work to keep his mind off such things. There were his usual responsibilities and helping Kylo out. And now on top of that there was the opportunity to work with the animals more often. Kylo had kept his word and then some, not only reassigning some of Hux’s workload to other employees and ordering him a pile of keeper’s uniforms, but also giving Hux first pick of what he wanted to work with. It was a dream come true, and he was busy in the best way.

And then, on an ordinary Thursday in early September, he got news that made him put it all aside.

He was hurrying from the reptile house to his office, distracted with jotting down notes of everything he had to do when he got there, when he nearly collided with someone. He stepped back quickly, looking up from his notebook to see one of the vet techs.

“Sorry, didn’t see you there - “ He began to walk past her but to his surprise she followed him, talking quickly.

“Mr. Hux, you’re who I was looking for, actually! It’s about Millicent.”

He came to a sharp halt and whirled around to face her. “What about Millicent?”

“We think she’s going into labor.”

Immediately nothing else he had to do mattered. He shoved his pen and notebook into his bag. The tech had to hurry to keep up with him as he sped off to Millicent’s enclosure.

When he arrived Kylo was already there along with a small group of other zookeepers who had heard the news.

“Where is she?” Hux asked. “Is she alright?”

“She’s inside with the vet,” Kylo answered. “Just for supervision, Mal won’t interfere unless there are complications. We moved the male outside.” Kylo seemed as high-strung as Hux felt. 

“Right. Good. Okay.” Hux took a deep breath. He gave a sharp look to the other keepers. “Back to work, all of you. We’ll let you know when there’s more news.”

Kylo watched them obediently hurry off with an amused look on his face before turning back to Hux.

“We’re staying, right?”

“Of course we are. That’s our girl in there.”

Kylo grinned. “Come on. Mal won’t let us in with her but we can watch through the window.”

Hux followed him inside. Sure enough, Millicent was lying near one wall on a cozy bed of straw. Her breathing was heavier than usual but she seemed otherwise fine. The head vet was leaning against the opposite wall, a kit at her side, watching diligently but not interfering. When Hux and Kylo entered she glanced up at them and nodded in greeting. They nodded back.

Every second that passed felt like an hour. Logically, they both knew that Millicent was healthy, her pregnancy had gone by without issue, and she was in good hands with their veterinary team. But Hux still had a flutter of worry in his chest that no amount of logic could stifle.

It was almost reassuring that Kylo seemed no better off. Beside Hux he was restless, fidgeting, his dark eyes glued to Millicent through the glass. Hux found that his own hands were shaking slightly, from both nerves and anticipation.

In an impulse he would later blame on said nerves, he reached over and felt around until he found Kylo’s hand. He grasped it tightly.

To his surprise, after a brief pause Kylo laced his fingers with Hux’s and squeezed. Tension drained from Hux’s shoulders. They would have to talk about this later, probably. For now it just felt nice to not be alone.

Slowly, one cub began to emerge. Millie struggled a little, but the little form came out without issue. As soon as it was out a second cub followed, this one more quickly than the first.

Hux and Kylo watched with bated breath for a few long moments, until it was clear there were no more left. They watched in awe as Millicent stretched and shook her head, then sat up and began licking one of the squirming cubs.

“She did it,” Kylo breathed. He leaned in closer to the glass. “They...seem okay? Right?”

Through the window, Mal nodded toward the door and then slipped out of the room. Hux tugged on Kylo’s hand.

“Come on.”

Kylo looked reluctant. Hux couldn’t blame him; he didn’t want to leave either, but he wanted to know what the vet had to say, and he wanted to tell the others. It took another gentle tug, but Kylo exhaled slowly and followed Hux. The moment they reached the door their hands parted as if nothing had happened. Hux’s hand felt too cold all of a sudden; he squeezed it into a fist to rid himself of the feeling.

When they stepped outside not only had the keepers they dismissed returned, but their numbers had doubled, everyone eagerly awaiting news. Mal was standing in front of the group. When Hux and Kylo joined them, she began to speak.

“The birth went perfectly smoothly,” she began, and there was an audible sigh of relief. “Millicent did very well and she and the twin cubs look healthy. There seem to be no complications. We’ll keep a close watch over her and the cubs with the monitor screen, but we need to wait a few days for the mother and cubs to bond before we can examine them and determine the sex.” She paused, looking around with a smile. “But as of right now I can say that we have two healthy newborn Sumatran tiger cubs.”

The group erupted into cheers, high-fiving, patting backs, chatting excitedly, some surrounding the vet to ask her questions. Kylo turned to Hux, absolutely  _ beaming _ , and before Hux had time to react he was being pulled in tight against his broad chest.

Hux stood stiff, arms glued to his sides, blinking and trying to adjust his head so he wasn’t eating a chunk of Kylo’s soft, nice-smelling hair. 

_ I guess I should… _

Just as he began to lift his arms, awkwardly trying to find the right place to return the hug, Kylo pulled back and put his hands on Hux’s shoulders. His eyes were shining with unshed tears and he seemed oblivious to Hux’s plight.

“She did it,” he said, “ _ we _ did it. Twin cubs!”

Hux began nodding before the words even registered. And then a grin lit up his face to match Kylo’s. Right, that was right. They were celebrating. Millicent had successfully delivered twin cubs. This was a huge moment not just for himself or Kylo, but for the zoo and for the world.

“We did it,” he echoed. “Oh my god…”

He was pulled from the moment by Phasma clapping him on the shoulder out of nowhere, looking as elated as the rest of the staff. “Can you believe it?!” she gushed, “I can’t wait for this to be  _ everywhere _ ! We have to get good photos of the cubs, put them on  _ everything _ . People love babies - “

Hux half-listened, his eyes following Kylo as he moved away to speak with Mal, probably about Millicent’s treatment plan or what changes they’d need to make to the enclosure.  _ Always looking out for his cats. _ Hux remembered when that single-mindedness annoyed him. Now it was...endearing.

After a while the fuss died down and everyone returned to their work. Everyone except for Hux, Kylo, and the vet.

“Will anyone be here watching the monitors overnight?” Hux asked.

“One of the techs volunteered, but she’s already been here all day, I’m worried she’ll fall asleep,” Mal admitted. “Do you think one of the keepers would - “

“I’ll do it,” Kylo interrupted. Mal and Hux both turned to look at him.

“Are...you sure?” Mal asked hesitantly. “You can ask around first…”

“This is too important,” Kylo said bluntly. “I want to keep an eye on her and the cubs, at least for the first night.”

“ _ We _ want to keep an eye on her,” Hux corrected. He felt Kylo’s gaze on him but ignored it. “I’ll stay too. We can sleep in shifts.”

Mal looked between them and then sighed. “Well, I can’t exactly tell you two what to do. Just call if anything happens, no matter what time it is.”

“We will.”

“Good.” She looked at the time. “I have some work to get done before I head home.” She gave them a look that was much too knowing for Hux’s liking. “You two have a good night.”

As she walked away, Kylo asked Hux, “Do you want the first shift or the second shift?”

“Neither,” Hux replied. He turned to head back to the office to gather his things. “I have no intention of actually sleeping.”

Kylo grinned and followed him. “Oh good. Me either.”

*

Night fell and the zoo became another world. Dim lamps lit a few places where night staff might need to walk but otherwise it was pitch black and eerily silent aside from the occasional movement or call from a nocturnal creature.

It was a cool, breezy night heralding the imminent autumn. But inside the tiger enclosure it was warm from the heat lamp which cast a warm glow through the room.

Millicent lay on her side on the straw-covered ground, content while her cubs nursed. So far she was bonding well with them, which was a relief. They didn’t want to have to transfer the cubs to another zoo if they could avoid it.

Hux sat in the entrance to the room, the gate partway open. The door to the building was shut on the off chance Millicent decided to go exploring, but he doubted that would happen. Her food, water, and cubs were all here.

He was still wearing work slacks and shoes - the shoes, he suspected, would come off soon, he’d been wearing them since five in the morning - but he had removed his belt and changed into a t-shirt for at least some comfort. At first he tried to work on his tablet for a while, only occasionally looking over at Millicent, but between the novel sight of the new mother with her cubs and Kylo trying to make conversation it became too hard to focus and he quickly gave up on any hope of getting work done tonight.

Kylo, meanwhile, was tempting fate seeing how good a look he could get at the cubs before Millicent growled at him. It seemed that three feet was her limit.

“Please stop,” Hux said, the words followed by a big yawn. “Mm...she’s going to attack you and I really don’t want to have to tranq her when she just gave birth.”

“I just want to see their faces. We still don’t know what they look like.”

“They look like baby tigers.”

Kylo gave him an unimpressed look. “You know as well as I do they all have unique patterns. I want to figure out which is which.”

“There will be plenty of time for that. We’ll need photos for the website and the press. It’s pretty safe to assume we’ll hold a naming contest for them.”

That made Kylo frown deeply. “Yeah I guess. I was kind of hoping we could name them.”

“What, have all the staff submit options and vote or something?”

“No, not  _ we _ the zoo,  _ we _ as in...you and me. We’re like, their godparents or something.”

“...oh.” Hux looked down, picking at the material of his slacks. He wasn’t sure how to respond to the strangely intimate notion of co-godparenting a pair of tiger cubs with Kylo.

When he looked over again, Kylo was watching him. His gaze was...soft. Maybe it was just weariness from the long day, or the lighting…

Kylo moved cautiously, careful not to startle Millicent or the cubs. He rose from his kneeling position and snuck over to crouch beside where Hux sat, looking at him with that strange, gentle expression.

Hux’s throat felt dry. His heart was pounding in his chest. Kylo was so close. He was leaning toward Hux, and Hux felt no particular desire to move away.

His lips were mere inches from Hux’s when he paused, his warm, shaky breaths brushing across Hux’s cheek. He was waiting for permission, or maybe to be pushed away. He was so close… Hux flicked his gaze over Kylo’s face, admiring the way the light and shadows painted the strange, beautiful angles of it.

Kylo’s tongue darted out across his lips briefly and that small, nervous motion was the only warning Hux got before Kylo closed the distance and soft, plush lips were pressed hesitantly to his own.

Hux’s eyes drifted shut.  _ Yes, _ he thought. As though this was something he wanted all along and only now realized it. Before Kylo could pull away, Hux grasped the front of his shirt and held him there, tilting his head and pressing into the kiss. When he slid his fingers into Kylo’s hair, Kylo hummed deep in his throat. Hux shuddered.

Slowly they parted and Hux exhaled shakily. Kylo touched his forehead to Hux’s and for a moment they just sat there catching their breath.

When he was ready he gave Kylo’s hair a gentle tug and Kylo obediently lifted his head. Hux opened his eyes to find him sporting a crooked grin.

Hux cleared his dry throat. “Did you just -”

“Yeah.” Kylo’s voice was hoarse. The smile faded, uncertainty in his eyes. “Is that...okay?”

“Yes,” Hux answered quickly. “Yes, very...very okay.” He flinched at his own ineloquence.  _ It was more than just okay, it was wonderful, do it again… _ But the words wouldn’t come out so he gave Kylo’s hair another stroke, hoping it said what he couldn’t.

It must have been enough, because Kylo smiled and dipped his head into Hux’s hand not unlike a cat wanting to be pet.

Hux indulged him a moment longer, until he noticed that Kylo was gripping a bar of the enclosure gate with one hand to keep himself upright, his legs shaking either from nerves or from holding his crouched position or both.

Hux pulled his legs in, motioning to the spot his feet had been. Kylo sat down on the concrete floor and let Hux stretch his legs out across his lap. As soon as he was settled, one of Kylo’s large hands gripped Hux’s shin and he leaned back against the gate with a sigh.

Millicent was watching them, her tail flicking and gaze alert as though sizing up the situation. Maybe she approved, because she licked her nose and shook her head and laid back down while the cubs crawled clumsily around her.

“...do you like sushi?” Hux asked quietly.

“Yeah, I do.”

“I know a great place not far from here.”

“How’s Saturday?”

“Saturday is perfect.”

Comfortable silence settled over the room like a warm blanket. Kylo’s thumb rubbed absently at Hux’s leg while he watched Millicent. Hux, in turn, watched Kylo until his eyes began to droop.

They ended up taking those shifts sleeping after all. It was alright. Hux could sleep soundly knowing that he and every animal here were in good hands and that whatever came their way, he and Kylo would handle together.

It was their zoo, after all.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! This was so fun to work on together. :) We hope you enjoyed the story and the art, and we'd love to hear what you think!
> 
> On tumblr  
Artist: [pangolinpirate](https://pangolinpirate.tumblr.com/)  
Writer: [obsessions-and-dreams](https://obsessions-and-dreams.tumblr.com/)


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